👋 Hi, it’s Michelle!

I’ve loved Advent calendars since I was a kid. My mom got us one every year, and sometimes we had even the chocolate kind!

These days you can get really elaborate ones in any theme you want.

This week, I’ve found all the best crochet advent calendars so you can snag one before they sell out! (Pro tip: add to your birthday list if you have one coming up!) 🧡

In this week’s email:

🔶 Pint-Sized Players: Babies Rock Crochet SEC Uniforms

Newborns at Williamson Health in Tennessee kicked off football season in style — dressed in tiny hand-crocheted SEC team uniforms. (See pictures → Fox17)

🔶 Gen Z Fuels Crochet’s “Cozy Hobby” Boom

Crafts are trending as medicine for the soul — and Gen Z is leading the charge. Crochet, knitting, and other “slow” hobbies are surging as young people seek comfort and creativity in a fast-paced world. (Read more → The Guardian)

🔶 Guinness World Records Attempt

This week a Filipino woman will attempt the world record for the largest crocheted mandala by a single person. Her entry measures over 18ft in diameter and weighs 70+ lbs! (Read more → NewsInfo)

🔶 Make a Hat Day

September 15 is “Make a Hat Day”. 👒Crochet hats are easy to whip up - see my STITCH BY STITCH article about crocheting for charity. (See ideas for “Make a Hat Day” events → TimeAndDate)

A curated selection of useful (mostly) crochet-related articles and tools I’ve come across recently for you to explore. All links have been vetted! 🧡

In the 1940s, why did crochet become especially popular in the U.S.?
A) Shortages of knitting needles during WWII
B) Crochet was faster than knitting for soldiers’ socks
C) Patterns were distributed in women’s magazines for free
D) Crochet yarn was rationed less strictly than wool

(Answer the end!)

If you’re a regular reader of Crochet Current, you’ve seen me highlight a Featured Charity each week. If you’ve ever thought about crocheting for a cause, there’s no time like the present.

This week is September 11, which has been officially designated as the National Day of Service and Remembrance.

What better way to celebrate than by crocheting something that will be put to good use!

Many charities were formed to fill a need in their local or national communities.

While charities like Knitted Knockers, Warm Up America and S.A.C.K. fill very specific needs, charities on a local level collect more varied items for distribution to places in their communities.

If you’ve been considering crocheting for charity, the 9/11 Day of Service is a great motivator to start. 

Find a cause that speaks to you. Do you feel pulled toward children, animals, the homeless, veterans? There are organizations for nearly every need.

To find one, Google the word and crochet charity. E.g. “children’s crochet charity”.

Look locally. Churches, shelters, and community centers often welcome handmade donations, and you might be surprised how much need exists right in your own backyard.  Add your city or state to your Google search to find one near you.

Start small. Crochet something you feel comfortable with and enjoy making.

It’s a perfect opportunity to try and perfect new patterns. It doesn’t matter if a beanie is wonky, it just matters that it’s warm!

Here are some gorgeous patterns from a recently wrapped Crochet Along for a Cause and Yarnspirations is always good for simple, free patterns.

Check the guidelines. Many groups have specific requirements for yarn type, weight, or color.

Hospitals, for example, often request washable acrylic for ease of care (for example, Red Heart yarns or Premier Basix) and Soap Sacks require 100% cotton yarns.

Look on the organization’s actual site to confirm – don’t rely on AI summaries. They can be wrong!

Look in your stash. To make room for new skeins, gather up all your leftovers, group by yarn weight and use it up by crocheting a hat or a blanket with the scraps. 

Don’t worry about colors. Put all the rolled leftover balls into a bag and pull them out one at a time and crochet until done and pull another one (don’t peek) to continue.

Crocheting for charity doesn’t just help others — it fills your own heart, too.

There’s something deeply satisfying about knowing your hobby can ease someone’s burden or bring a little light into their day.

Acts of kindness release the same chemicals as falling in love: dopamine, oxytocin & serotonin.

When you're feeling low, instead of turning away from the world, find one small way to be of service.

Kindness heals — one stitch at a time. 🧡

WEAVING IN THE ENDS

Trivia Answer: C – women’s magazines shared free crochet patterns to boost morale and thrift.

👉 Send me an email with pictures of your crocheted items for charity or let me know of a charity you’d like featured in an upcoming newsletter.

See you next week!

—Michelle 🧡

P.S. Hope you were lucky enough to score a Caron Anniversary Cake this week if you were looking for them! Let me know if you did.